City Council Meetings Schedule

Mission Statement

The City of Bryan is committed to providing financially efficient municipal services to improve the quality of life and develop a community where all citizens are proud to live.

Vision Statement

Bryan is a thriving, diverse, historic City where people are proud of their heritage, compassionate to one another, and enjoy their family-oriented community to the fullest.

Form of Government

The City of Bryan Charter stipulates that the council/manager form of government be utilized. The seven-member city council consists of a mayor and six councilmembers, with one councilmember elected at-large and the other five elected from single-member districts. The mayor and councilmembers are elected for alternating three-year terms with six-year term limits. The role of the City Council is to enact ordinances and resolutions, adopt regulations, and set policy direction for the conduct of the affairs of the city.

Strategic Initiatives

Public Safety:
Bryan residents enjoy a safe and healthy community.Service:
Bryan is a business-friendly city that provides exceptional public and customer services.Infrastructure:
Bryan has adequate and well maintained infrastructure to support a developing community.Economic Development:
Bryan is an economically diverse and developing community.Quality of Life:
Bryan is an attractive community where residents and visitors enjoy diversity, history, parks, recreation, educational and cultural opportunities.

City Staff

The City Council, by majority vote, appoints the City Manager, City Secretary, City Attorney, Municipal Court Judge, and City Internal Auditor. The City Manager is then responsible and accountable for the routine administration and direction of the municipal organization.

The city offers a full array of municipal services through a workforce of approximately 800 employees and a budget of $228 million. Examples of services are Police, Fire, EMS, Public Works, Planning, Inspections, Parks and Recreation, Library, Utilities, Accounting, Human Resources, Purchasing, Risk Management, Municipal Court, Fleet, Legal and Information Technology.

Council Meeting Live Broadcasts

Council meetings are broadcast live and can be seen locally on cable channel 16 the second and fourth Tuesday of each month. Workshop meetings generally begin at 3 p.m., while regular meetings generally begin at 6 p.m. Meetings are rebroadcast on a regular schedule until the next City Council meeting occurs.

Recent YouTube Videos

Mayor and City Council

Andrew Nelson

Mayor
(Nov. 2016 – Present)

Serving presently as the CEO and Co-Founder of Lisam America, Mayor Nelson has managed large budgets, created private sector jobs, and met a payroll. Mayor Nelson has served as a mentor to veterans at the May’s Business School Entrepreneur Veteran Boot Camp and is a guest speaker at May’s Business School and the College of Engineering. A member of the Aggie Class of 1992, he graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and studied abroad at King’s College, University of London.

Mayor Nelson has served on the Bryan Business Council, on the board of the Research Valley Innovation Center and as a member of the Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee for the City of Bryan. In addition, Mayor Nelson has been active in a number of charitable and civic causes throughout our community. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Rotary Club of Bryan; is a Founding Trustee and Officer of Brazos Valley Cares, which provides grants and emergency funds to meet local needs of veterans and their families; and raises funds for the Warrior and Family Support Center at Brooke Army Medical Center.

Mayor Nelson has lived in the Brazos Valley most of his life, moving to Bryan to raise his family and build his business. The Mayor and his family are supporters of Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts of America, Habitat for Humanity, The Children’s Museum, The Community Foundation, the Queen Theatre, Hospice Brazos Valley, the Salvation Army, the Hispanic Forum, Bubba Moore Memorial, OPAS and the Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra.

Reuben Marin

Councilmember
Single Member District 1
(Nov. 2016 – Present)

Reuben Marin is a third generation citizen of Bryan. He was born and raised in SMD 1, where he still resides on the west side of Bryan. A 1992 Graduate of Bryan High School, and Texas A&M Corps of Cadets Class of 1996, Mr. Marin is a product of the Bryan Independent School District with Texas Aggie Values.

Reuben works for Mizkan America, Inc. managing a robust sales budget. He was recently named Salesman of the Year, understands the importance of ensuring that our local economy remains strong, and has experience managing complicated budgets.

As a member of the Planning and Zoning Commission, Mr. Marin has first hand experience working with residents to maintain the integrity of our neighborhoods. As a former Vice President of the Hispanic Forum of Bryan/College Station, Mr. Marin understands the importance of a solid educational foundation. He is proud to be a member of an organization that actively raises money for local scholarships. Mr. Marin is also a graduate of the City of Bryan’s Citizen Police Academy, 50th Anniversary Class and attends Santa Teresa Catholic Church and St. Joseph Catholic Church.

Prentiss Madison

Councilmember
Single Member District 2
(Nov. 2016 – Present)

Prentiss Madison is a fourth generation Bryan, Texas resident. He was raised on the West Side of the city and currently lives in West Bryan. Mr. Madison is the son of past Bryan City Council Member, Paul Madison, and is a member of Lily of the Valley Church of God in Christ.

A 1995 graduate of Bryan High School, Councilman Madison began his public service duties for the City of Bryan in 2001 as a member of the Bryan Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. He has also served on the Zoning Board of Adjustments, volunteered at the Boys & Girls Club of the Brazos Valley, and served as a UIL Basketball official. Councilman Madison most recently served the previous six years as a Commissioner of the City’s Planning and Zoning Board.

Greg Owens

Councilmember
Single Member District 3
(Nov. 2012 – Present)

Greg Owens, City Councilmember Single Member District Three, was elected to the Council in November 2012. Mr. Owens is an award winning business owner and holds a degree in Business Management from Texas A&M University. He served on the City’s Building and Standards Commission and as Chair of the Zoning Board of Adjustment.

Mr. Owens has served as a guest lecturer at A&M’s Mays Business School and has a strong record of philanthropic support of many organizations such as the Junior League, the Children’s Museum and the Bryan Breakfast Lions Club. He is a member of the Bryan-College Station Chamber of Commerce.

He and his lovely wife, Julie, have four children. They are members of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Bryan.

Mike Southerland

Councilmember
Single Member District 4
(Nov. 2014 – Present)

Bryan has been home to Mike Southerland and his family since 1984. Before entering the service, he was a resident of Louisiana. A 22-year Army veteran, Mike retired from active duty as a Corps of Engineers Lieutenant Colonel in May 1989. While in Vietnam – Feb. 1969 to Feb. 1970 – he logged more than 900 combat hours as a helicopter pilot, and later served in many leadership positions, one of which was in a military community located in Germany.

He has owned and operated two insurance agencies in Bryan for 20 years – from 1990 to 2010.

Mike has donated his time and energies to the Bryan Rotary Club and Habitat for Humanity as president. He has been a volunteer for Elder Aid, the Boys & Girls Club of the Brazos Valley, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, The Brazos Valley Council on Alcohol and Substance Abuse, and the American Red Cross. As a director of the Bryan Development Foundation, he helped with Blinn College consolidation and furthered plans for a state prison development in Bryan.

He has been on the board of Keep Brazos Beautiful. He chaired the traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall exhibited at the Bush Library and created and chaired an annual veteran’s parade in Downtown Bryan. He has been Bryan Rotary President and Treasurer, and President and Treasurer of the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 937.

Mike has been elected to three terms on the Bryan City Council. In 2006, Mike was instrumental in lobbying for creation of an ordinance further restricting the number of unrelated adults in a single-family dwelling located in a single-family residential neighborhood. Since his election to the council, he has served on many council appointed committees. Over the three terms he has presented over 80 items of council legislation. He has written four City Charter Amendments and all four have been passed and instituted.

Mike holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science with honors from the University of Southern Mississippi. Mike has done some graduate course work at Texas A&M University. Mike and Tana, a retired schoolteacher, have been married for 48 years. They have three children and five grandchildren. Their son Ty and his family reside in Corpus Christi; Mick and his family reside in College Station; and the youngest son Matt and his wife reside in the Dallas area.

“Tana and I love Bryan and are proud to serve.”

Brent Hairston

Councilmember
Single Member District 5
(Nov. 2018 – Present)

Brent Hairston graduated from Texas A&M University in 1990 and began business in Downtown Bryan in 1992. He owns and manages Perry Properties which has overseen the renovation of three significant buildings in Downtown Bryan, and the recent construction of a fourth building, Perry Place, a 30,000 square foot building which is the largest built in downtown Bryan in nearly 50 years.

Brent has served on a variety of city boards, including the Bryan Brazos County Economic Development Foundation, Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, Historical Landmark Commission, and the Building and Standards Commission. He is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, as well as the Bryan Rotary Club.

Brent’s passion is barbershop chorus and quartet singing. He has directed multiple choruses and sung in a number of quartets. He is a 30-year member of the Barbershop Harmony Society.

He and his wife, Krissie, were married in 1997 and have three children, all of whom attend public schools in Bryan.

Buppy Simank

Councilmember
At Large, Place 6
(Nov. 2015 – Present)

Buppy Simank has called Bryan his home for almost 4 decades. He is a graduate of Bryan High School, played football for the Bryan Vikings, and continues to follow Bryan Football today. Buppy attended Blinn College in Bryan while working with the restaurant and catering company that he now owns.

At the age of 21, Buppy had the opportunity to purchase the catering company that he had bussed tables in at the age of 15. 25 years later, Buppy’s Catering is known for great food and service across the Brazos Valley.

Buppy is married to Jennifer Yerrington Simank, and they have one daughter, Brittany. Shortly after Buppy and Jennifer were married, Buppy’s life was placed in the hands of Bryan First Responders as they responded to render aid to Buppy crushed by a trailer in front of his house. If not for the speedy and skilled work of Bryan First Responders and skilled Trauma Specialists at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Buppy would not be here today. Buppy and his family are eternally grateful for all that Bryan First Responders do daily throughout our community, and in their time of need.

Public Hearings Notice

Tax Rate Notice

The City of Bryan adopted a tax rate that will raise more taxes for maintenance and operations than last year’s tax rate. The tax rate will effectively be raised by 5.84 percent and will raise taxes for maintenance and operation on a $100,000 home by approximately $34.77